Island



(No Model.)

C. E. REACH. CONSTRUCTION 0F HIGHWAYS.

No. 443,320. Patented Dec. 23, 11890;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLOVIS E. KEAOH, OF MAPLEVILLE, RHODE ISLAND.

CONSTRUCTION OF H|G HWAY S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,320, dated December 23, 1890.

Application iilecl October S, 1890. Serial No. 366.996. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom. it may aon/cern:

Be it known that I, CLOVIS E. KEAGH, a citi zen of the United States, and a resident of Mapleville, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Highways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to country roads, and has for its object to provide roads which will not be rendered soft and heavy in wet weather and which will be able to withstand the wear and tear resulting from heavy teams to a greater eXtent and with greater economy than heretofore.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved road-bed. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section on line .fr cc of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 'y g/ of Fig. l.

It will be seen by 'referring to the drawings that the road is divided lengthwise into a series of sections A A A, which are separated from each other by transverse rows B of comparativelyT large stones, while the spaces A between said rows are filled with smaller broken stone or stones and gravel. The rows of stone B are preferably placed equidistant along the road-bed and serve as supportingwalls, which inclose the gravel between them and prevent the same from shifting, whereby the road might otherwise become uneven. Rows of stones C of about the same size as those of the rows B are placed on both sides of the road-bed and serve as walls in conjunction with the said rows B.. Adjoining the rows of stone C and running lengthwise of the road are shallow drains D, which serve to catch the sand or other tine material which may be washed from the higher portion of the road-bed while the water which accompanies it will iow into the parallel deeper drain F,- which latter is preferably filled with cobblestones a. The drysand which is washed from the road-bed and settles in the drain D can be readily returned to the road-bed or-be removed to a suitable place of deposit.

In order to prevent a rush of water lfrom the comparatively-level portion R ofthe road at the top of a hill S down the road-bed, s0 as to wash and gully the same,I provide near the top of the incline S a shallow depression c in the road-bed and drain the water from the saine bythe side drains D, which in this case are inclined, as is indicated by the dotted line b in Fig. 2, so that the portion of the road -bed included between the lateral rows of stone b b will form a raised dam or bar, which will serve to prevent the water from rushing down over the inclined road-bed of the hill S to wash and gully the saine, and in this case also the dam will be constructed of a series of transverse rows of stone B with the spaces A between the rows filled with line stone and gravel, and such dams or bars can be made at different parts of the declivity ot the hill as may be required to properly guide the water from the road-bed.

In the absence of stone ot' the required size to form .the walls B and C the same can be made of gravel and cement or other suitable material, and in some cases logs of wood can be employed.

Dry-wells G may be provided at suitable intervals in the blind drains F, whereby the water from the drains will be absorbed by the surrounding earth or gravel.

I claim as my inventionl. A road-bed having at its opposite sides a longitudinal wall formed of rows of stones or ot' other solid material, and also having a series of transverse walls of the same, the intervening spaces being illed with ordinary road material, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the road-bed having the longitudinal and transverse walls, as described, of the longitudinal catch-drains adapted to receive the deposit of sand or loose material from the road-bed, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a road-bed, of the longitudinally-directed wall at the side of the road-bed, the catch-drain, and theblind-drain, substantially as described.

et. The combination, with a road-bed, of a dam formed across the road-bed to turn the water from the same into side drains, the dam being formed with a series of transverse walls of stone or other material with an intermediate filling oi road material,substantially as A described.

5. The combination,with a road-bed,of the catch-drain, the blind drain, and a dry-well to receive' the water from the blind-drain, substantially as described.

CLOVIS E. REACH.

Witnesses:

S. SCHOLEIELD, Il. S. BAEcooK. 

